The present invention relates generally to a livestock watering device, and more particularly, to a livestock watering device which will prevent water within the device from freezing during the winter months, but which will also keep the water relatively cool during the hot summer months.
A primary object in the design of livestock watering tanks is to provide a unit which will prevent the drinking water from freezing when the temperature drops below the freezing point. This is obviously a very important objective since if the water is allowed to freeze, the livestock cannot drink it. It is also important that the tank be constructed to keep the water relatively cool during the summer months. Many attempts have been made to construct stock watering tanks which meet these objectives. Several have included an electric tank heater to prevent the water from freezing during the winter months. Such structures, however, are quite expensive to operate and are generally unable to also keep the water cool during the summer months. Other types of stock waterers have been constructed of foam or insulated materials for keeping the water from freezing during the winter months and cool during the summer months. Although these watering devices have been effective to some extent, they have not been completely satisfactory since they are often unable to keep the water in the tank sheltered when the animal is drinking. Thus, at very low temperatures, these prior devices have not been completely acceptable. Thus, there is a real need for the development of a stock watering device which not only prevents the water from freezing during the winter months, even at subzero temperatures, but which also keeps the water relatively cool during the hot summer months.